"Often times in tragedies like this, people always talk about the good things, but with Chris, there's nothing but good things to talk about. There were no bad things. He was such a wonderful young man. He's truly going to be missed."

Newgent, Redlands Community College's athletic director and head baseball coach, said he "couldn't put into words" how upset he was when he heard of Lane's sudden passing late last week.

Lane, 22, was shot and killed as he jogged along a tree-lined road in Duncan, Okla. (population: 24,000). Police have described it as a thrill killing, that three teenagers were "bored" and shot Lane for "the fun of it." Two teenage boys have been charged with first-degree murder, and a third teenager was charged with being an accessory.

Lane had been in Duncan to visit his girlfriend.

The news hit Lane's former teammates and coaches hard. At the time of his death, Lane had been a rising senior at East Central University in Ada, Okla., set to graduate next spring. He started 14 games at catcher last season. Prior to that, he played two years at Redlands Community College.

"He was an absolute joy to coach," East Central University baseball coach Dino Rosato said in a statement. "Chris was an extremely well-respected teammate. ... He set a great example for all of his teammates, but more importantly for the younger players. He was a mature student-athlete who his teammates could look to for advice and support."

Two of Lane's former Redlands teammates created a GoFundMe site to raise money to fly Lane's parents to Oklahoma to retrieve Lane's body and bring it back to Melbourne. The site has raised more than $45,000 so far, more than triple its goal.

"It happened to be me and three of his former teammates together when we found out," former teammate Tyler Iago told The Oklahoman. "It's weighed heavy on our hearts. Anything that we're able to do locally here, I feel it's the least we can do for him for all the things he's done for us."

Newgent wasn't surprised that two of his players launched the site, calling his team "a family" and a "brotherhood of sorts." Lane had fit in right from the start.

Back in 2008, Newgent flew nearly halfway around the world to meet Lane.

He'd heard from folks at the Essendon Baseball Club that Lane was a good baseball player, and an even better guy. Newgent's sources were solid; he'd recruited several Australian baseball players from that club over the years.

So he went to see Lane in the middle of 2008. It was winter there, summer in El Reno, Okla., where Redlands Commmunity College was based.

"It didn't take long for me to see that with my own eyes once I got over there," Newgent said. "This young man was full of charisma and life, always had a smile on his face. It didn't take long for me to know he'd make a positive impact on our program and our team. The rest is history, as they say. I knew right away I wanted him to be a part of our ballclub, and he accepted."

Lane injured his shoulder his first season, but played for Redlands in 2011 and 2012 while earning his associate degree. Playing catcher fit Lane perfectly; it allowed his natural leadership skills to shine.

"He knew just the right time and just the right thing to say to a teammate," Newgent said. "If they needed a pat on the butt, he'd pat them on the butt. If they needed to be chewed on, he'd chew on them. He had that innate ability that born leaders have."

Newgent described Lane's personality as infectious.

"He never had a bad day; if he did, he never showed it," he said. "If any of us on the coaching staff or a player was having a bad day, as soon as Chris came rocking through the door â?? as Chris would say â?? it made our day better. He was a joy to be around all the time."

Australia's Herald Sun newspaper reported that Lane's former Australian team, the Essendon Baseball Club, would turn its Sunday game against the University of Melbourne into a tribute to Lane to raise money for the family to help with funeral arrangements.